The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-06-04
The South or To-Day.

Boston Herald
An interesting and instructive address
was delivered by General s. G.. Griffin,
of Keene. N. H., at the town of Hadley,
in this State, on Decoration Day. Gen.
Griffin was one of the New Hampshire
soldiers of the late war who acquired
especial honor from a good record. He
was afterward Republican member of
Congress from his district, but, though
still in good standing as party man.
has shown something too much of liz
erality to be a favorite with politicians.
The subject of his memorial address was
'.Tbe South of To-Day" and he treated
it in broad and catholic spirit. His ac-
count of the advance that the South has
made, and Is making, is of "A highly en-
couraging character, and the sta iStics
attesting this which he furnishes will be
surprise to many.
Within the last ten years we are told
that IL, 900 miles of railroad have been
built, and that more than $500. 900, 'snl
has been expended on railroads IN the
Southern States. The assessed valuation
of property there has increased during
that t.me about 81, 800. 000. 900. There is
$200, GOO. 900 more capital Invested IN the
South in cattle alone Than there was ten
years ago. The cotton mills have doubled
III nuiHDtI
last four years, and cotton seed mills
have quadrupled in the same time. The
nation is familiar with the .eat increase
of the iron production of this section,
and knows that there are largest de-
posits of coal and iron in the
world in one belt of it. The
from mines of northern Alabama, Gen.
Griffin tells us, which ten years ago
might have been bought for So 900, to-
day could not be bodght for $50 ,00O.000.
The city OF Birmingham. Ala, to which
the attention of the public is now beng
generally directed. has grown up in that
time. TO show how the South is gaining
in this respect upon the best of the coun-
try, it is stated that from 1880 to 1884
Virginia, Alabama and Tennessee IN
creased the product of pig iron 30o,OOO
tons, while in all the rest of the United
States the plo iuct diminished9 900 tors
To aid in all this, tn re has gone down
into the South more than 5000 ,0C0, 600 of
northern capital.
Gen. Griffin is one of the Northern
men who, if he has not transfer red to the
South his residence. has become famii-
lar with it through frequent visits coz
nected with business operations. No
further testimony is really ne led to the
present patriotism of that section and
the cordial good WI of the great mass
of its people toward their Northern breth-
rem. There has been for years but one
kird of statement on this point from all
who have visited or become familiar
with that section. As a general of the
Northern armies and "A Republican mem
Der of CONGRESS, Cen Griffin should,
however, stand among the first in au-
thority. He says that the great mass
of the Southern people will tell you that
their cause has forever passed away,
and that they are glad of it;
that they are thousand times better off
for having been defeated; that the Fed
eraI Union has no firmer friends than
they; and he certifies that the leading
men among them are warm In their ex
pressions of loyalty. He urges apprecia-
ton on the part of the North, and says
that we can well afford to be magnani-
| nous. He finds a few Southern moss
backs" who appear to be counterparts of
| Northern irreconcilables, but they are
| fewer than here, and in the North theiI
influence is rapidly disappearing. Gen.
| Gritfin's sentiment that twenty years il
| certainly long enough to cherish that old
animosity, after the conquered ones have
surrendered, finds response in the hearts
| of all but men of narrow brains and con
/ tracted sympathies.